


Of Shared Blood and Different Destinies

by NicePumpkinSpice



Series: Of Sweet Memories and Guarded Moments [65]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 19:09:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3907369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicePumpkinSpice/pseuds/NicePumpkinSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Game - Meeting Evelyn's parents</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Shared Blood and Different Destinies

At Evelyn’s request, Cullen had put on his formal attire to greet her parents. He would have preferred to wear his typical armor, but she wanted him to look approachable. Walking up the stairs to their room, he hoped that the reunion would go smoothly. “Can I come up?” he asked not wanting to glimpse her wedding gown if she hadn’t yet changed.

“Yes, Krem has already taken the dress away,” Dorian said. After clapping Cullen on the shoulder and whispering good luck, Dorian went down the stairs.

Cullen got a sly smirk when he saw Evelyn in the blue dress. “Oh, I like that dress. Good choice,” he said while slipping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck from behind. 

“And I love it when you’re not wearing armor,” Evelyn cooed back.

“I take it you’re referring to my donning formal attire,” Cullen teased while his hands traveled over her breasts.

“Maybe...” Evelyn purred while turning around to kiss Cullen on the lips. He began to walk her backwards toward their bed when a knock on their door disrupted the mood. Straightening her clothes and wiping lipstick off Cullen’s mouth, Evelyn answered, “Come in.”

One of Josephine’s runners entered the room and announced, “Your parents have arrived, Your Worship. Lady Montilyet is greeting them now and will bring them into her office for your reunion.”

“Thank you, Marla. Did you happen to see them yourself?” Evelyn asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Marla answered.

“And did they look well?” Evelyn questioned hoping that the runner would give a few details that might hint at how their meeting would go.

“They seemed well,” Marla replied hesitantly then added, “Do I have permission to speak candidly?”

“Please,” Evelyn and Cullen said in unison.

“Your mother was unhappy that you weren’t there to meet them yourself. Said some uppity things to Lady Montilyet, but our ambassador put her in her place with words that cut sharper than a razor,” Marla reported proudly.

“I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated Josephine’s skills as much as I do now. Thank you, Marla, for filling me in,” Evelyn said. The runner bowed and left.

Cullen put his shield arm around Evelyn’s back and said, “Shall we go then?” Evelyn slipped out of his hold for a moment and grabbed a fistful of licorice from on top of her desk. “Just in case...” she said which made Cullen chuckle at the thought of her stuffing her cheeks full of candy to keep from being sharp with her parents. “I love you, Ev. Every single silly bit of you. This will be fine. You’ll see.”

Josephine had her office arranged in the same way she did for her _interludes_ , the weekly tea parties for the Inquisition’s advisors and inner circle that only she and Evelyn seemed to enjoy. Cullen had asked Evelyn why she didn’t mind the meetings which were more frou-frou than Evelyn would typically prefer. “I like petit fours and cucumber sandwiches, and she always serves them,” had been Evelyn’s only explanation. 

Seeing a tea table bedecked with tiny cakes in the corner of the room, Evelyn gave a delighted squeal and declared that Josephine was the best ambassador ever. Cullen admired how the simplest things filled Evelyn with such joy. Give her a garden, some sweets, an alchemy set, and color coded files, and Evelyn would be set for life. 

Plopping down on a sofa that sat in front of the fire, Evelyn motioned for Cullen to sit beside her. “This is surreal,” she whispered. “I can’t tell you how many meetings with nobility that I’ve had in this room, but now I’ll be playing host to my parents. I never thought to see them again. I barely remember them to be honest.”

The door to Josephine’s office creaked open. Cullen and Evelyn both stood quickly and turned to see Josephine ushering in two well-dressed and slightly huffy nobles. Robert Trevelyan was rounder than Cullen expected. He was barely taller than Evelyn and balding as well. For some reason, Cullen had imagined that Evelyn’s father would be imposing and regal. He was instead entirely average and utterly unremarkable except for the large brown eyes he shared with his daughter. Evelyn’s mother, on the other hand, was stunningly beautiful and nearly as tall as Cullen. Their pairing was only explainable by one thing - an arranged marriage.

Josephine opted to handle the introductions formally to subtly remind Evelyn’s parents that they had chosen to be strangers to her. “Inquisitor, Commander, I present Bann Robert Trevelyan of Ostwick and his wife Lady Julienne. Bann Robert and Lady Julienne, please meet the Herald of Andraste and Inquisitor Evelyn Trevelyan and her fiance and leader of the Inquisition’s armies Commander Cullen Rutherford.”

Evelyn’s father broke the ensuing uncomfortable silence by extending his hand toward Cullen. “Commander, your army’s successes have been the talk of the Free Marches. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Thank you. I look forward to getting to know you and your wife better,” Cullen said.

“Hardly,” Evelyn’s mother snapped and then turned to Evelyn with disdain. “I agreed to Robert’s suggestion to seek you out for only one reason. We need your assistance locating your younger brother. While Robert may be interested in pursuing a relationship with you, I have no interest in affiliating with a mage. Your mere existence has already done irreparable damage to the Trevelyan name and hindered your siblings’ marriage prospects immeasurably. Not that you care about such things - wedding a Ferelden commoner.”

Cullen’s jaw clenched at Evelyn’s mother’s words, and he stepped in front of Evelyn protectively. Evelyn put a hand on his upper arm and spoke in the same clear voice she used when rendering judgment. “I will have Lady Montilyet introduce you to our spymaster. The Inquisition will provide whatever assistance it can.” She added after giving Josephine a slight nod, “If there’s nothing further...”

“Certainly, Inquisitor, I will take our guests to Charter right now,” Josephine stated while her eyes glared murderously at the back of Lady Julienne’s head. Evelyn’s mother followed Josephine out of the room without even another glance at Evelyn, but her father hung back.

“I apologize for my wife. I had thought that once she saw you that her views would soften, and she would remember the sweet little girl we lost to the Circle. I’m sorry as well for being a coward I should have visited or at least written you, but I was too afraid of her reaction. Please, forgive me. I would have never brought her here to see you treated so disgracefully. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become in spite of your parents,” Bann Trevelyan said and made to leave. 

Evelyn raced toward her father and embraced him. “My precious little girl,” he said while patting her back. After a minute, Evelyn pulled back from the hug, but held her father’s hand. “I would like to get to know you. If it isn’t too late, that is,” her father pleaded. 

“I’d love that, Father,” Evelyn answered and hugged him again.

“May I write to you then?” he questioned. Evelyn nodded her agreement. 

“I expect that Julienne and I will leave on the morrow. I don’t want her making any more scenes. With your permission, I would still like to attend your wedding - without your mother, of course.” 

“Please do, and Mother is still welcome if she can be civil.”

“I think there is little chance of that, but greater miracles have happened in your life already so perhaps... Anyway, I should catch up with her and make sure your spymaster is fully informed about your brother. Commander, I am glad to have met you. You seem to care for Evelyn very much which is a great relief to me.”

Evelyn’s father left Josephine’s office and then Evelyn who had remained relatively stoic during the encounter, fell into Cullen’s arms and started sobbing. When Josephine returned to her office a little while later, she found that Cullen had pulled the tea table of tiny cakes over to the sofa where Evelyn was eating the lot while tears streamed down her cheeks.

“She really likes the cakes,” Cullen explained. 

Josephine sat beside Evelyn and hugged her friend. “I couldn’t have been more impressed with the way you conducted yourself, Inquisitor. You were exceedingly gracious. Your mother, however... There is no polite way to describe her, so I will refrain. I was quite upset with how she spoke to you, so I took the liberty of telling Sera about what occurred and slipped her a key to your mother’s room.”

“But my father...” Evelyn protested.

“Won’t be bothered. He and your mother have separate rooms and have had them for many years if rumors are correct,” Josephine disclosed.

Evelyn grinned and wondered what Sera would have planned for her mother.

“Josephine, did you hear any of what was said about the Inquisitor’s brother?” Cullen asked.

“I did, and it doesn’t sound hopeful I’m afraid. They haven’t heard from him in months. He was training to become a templar at the Circle at Montsimmard.”

“Of course he was...” Evelyn said sadly, “The Trevelyans always give their youngest to the Chantry. Even as young as I was when I still lived with them, I knew that I had been pledged to the Maker. They must have decided to have another child when they discovered I was a mage. He would be eighteen or nineteen years old at most.”

“His youth may be in his favor. If he has not yet undergone his Vigil, he might have avoided the notice of the Red Templars,” Cullen reasoned. “Montsimmard had a fair number of Loyalist mages. It’s possible that he could have left with them.”

“If he can be located, Charter will find him,” Josephine reassured Evelyn.

“Neither she nor Leliana can find Hawke or Solas,” Evelyn argued.

“Ev, you know what Josie meant. We’ll try our best.”

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot to tag the story immediately preceding this one yesterday, so you may want to read it if you missed it. : )
> 
> I wish Martha Rutherford had been at Skyhold. She'd have taken Lady Julienne down a notch.


End file.
